Dear colleagues,
Please find below three reports:- a. AIFF meets for Annual General Body Meeting in Goa b. Bala Devi is 2015 AIFF Woman Player Of The Year. c. Eugeneson Lyngdoh voted ‘2015 AIFF Player Of The Year’ . Also find attached pictures:- 1. Mr. Praful Patel Chaired AIFF's Annual General Body Meeting in Goa on Sunday (December 20). 2. The State Associations need to be more accountable, mentions Mr. Praful Patel. 3. Bala Devi wins 2015 AIFF Woman Player Of The Year Award. 4. Eugeneson Lyngdoh is voted the ‘2015 AIFF Player Of The Year’. (Picture Courtesy: AIFF Media) *We request you to follow AIFF Twitter Handle @AIFFMedia for regular updates.* Regards, AIFF Media Team ------------ *AIFF MEETS FOR ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING IN GOA* *AIFF Media Team* *MARGAO:* Mr. Praful Patel, President, All India Football Federation Chaired AIFF’s Annual General Body Meeting which was held at Hotel Ramada, Goa on Sunday (December 20, 2015). Besides Mr. Patel, AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das, Vice-Presidents Mr. Subrata Dutta, Mr. Subhash Chopra, Mr. Shrinivas Dempo, AIFF Executive Committee Members and members from Member Associations (except Haryana and Nagaland) also attended the Meeting, as did the two affiliated units – SSCB and RSPB. Speaking on the occasion, the AIFF President mentioned that it is time for all the State Associations to become “more accountable.” “I feel many States are not doing enough. If Indian Football as a whole has to grow, we need more wholehearted support and participation,” he added. “We will soon be going to rank the States much like the Licensing criteria which is in existence for the I-League Clubs. There has to be accountability from all the State Associations,” he informed. “AIFF is the custodian of Football in India and we are here to give a direction to Indian Football. For that, all the States need to move in sync,” he stated. Mentioning that the idea is to take the game to all corners of the Country, Mr. Patel lauded the support and supply line of Players from the North East Region of the Country. “North East is the backbone of Indian Football at the moment. Furthermore, if you look at Kashmir, there were around 18000 people cheering for LoneStar FC when they played their Home matches in the 2nd Division League. The diversification of Football is so positive,” he opined. “One of the primary reasons for bidding for the 2017 U-17 World Cup was to start a new Footballing Culture in the Country. We have made a beginning and hope it will usher in a new era and give a new dimension to the sport in the Country.” Mr. Patel also stressed on developing an “ecosystem for Football.” “We have introduced an U-15 League and the response has been so encouraging. The idea is to develop an entire ecosystem of Football. Indian Football is not long away; it’s on the horizon,” Mr. Patel pronounced. AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das highlighted that the AIFF is addressing the “transition phase” to produce better Players. “The kids who have been identified at the GR level need to be engaged in the YDP and we are working on that,” he said. Mr. Das also stressed on AIFF’s “zero tolerance policy on corruption related to the Sport.” “The AIFF has maintained a zero tolerance on corruption. We have conducted Workshops with FIFA and even have an Integrity Officer on board. Maintaining integrity is not just about fighting match fixing. It percolates down to all the Administrators who run the State FA, Clubs and the AIFF. In fact, we at AIFF have signed a code of ethics to address the issue,” Mr. Das echoed. Meanwhile, Mr. Patel also announced the recipients of the eight 2015 AIFF Awards. A detailed report on the Award winners can be found on https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=6879. -------- *BALA DEVI IS 2015 AIFF WOMAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR* *By Joseph Solomon,* *AIFF Media Team* *NEW DELHI: *After she scored 16 goals in 5 matches in the SAFF Women’s Championship in Pakistan in 2014 to propel India to the Gold Medal, they said that Bala Devi can score goals with her eyes closed. You mention it to her and the lanky striker laughs it off. All India Football Federation had lauded the current Indian Captain with the AIFF Women’s Player of the Year Award in 2014, a feat which she “cherishes” so much. But she has followed it up by winning the 2015 AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year. “Winning the first Award in 2014 was so satisfying. Retaining it was a challenge and more satisfying,” she tells www.the-aiff.com. “I thank the AIFF for their constant support and help. I revere the Awards lauded to me by the AIFF a lot and these are the things which matter the most to you as a Player,” she adds. “They are an indication that the hard work you put in throughout the course of the Year was in the right direction. At the same time, they inspire and motivate you a thousand-folds to play your heart out on the pitch.” “Would this be possible without the help of the Coaches who have trained me and the All India Football Federation which has provided me with a platform to represent the Nation?” She follows it up with a denial shake of the head. Born in Manipur, life for Bala Devi has always revolved around a Football. During her initial days, she played with mostly the boys. Thereafter, she went on to represent the State of Manipur in the U-19 Women’s Championship in 2002 in Assam, wherein she won the Best Player of the Tournament Award. Her acumen had such gravity that even in the next edition of the U-19 Women’s Championship in 2003, Bala once again clinched the Best Player of the Tournament Award stamping her authority as one of the best Players of the North-East region. “I still remember those days”, says Bala as nostalgia sweeps over her. “It all started with that Tournament (U-19 Women’s Championship 2002), and I have not looked back ever since.” “The feeling you get when you score your first goal is rivaled by only some emotions and playing with your heart out on the pitch in those days made me the type of Player I am today -- courtesy the Coaches and obviously the AIFF,” she quips. You inquire about the emotions which rival the feeling when you score your first goal and Bala almost instantly mentions: “Representing your Country for the very first time.” Taking a walk down the memory lane, it was in 2005 when Bala Devi first represented the Nation in the U-17 age group. “I had tears in my eyes on the day the Coach told me that I was in the Starting XI for our match. It was so surreal. I get goose-bumps even now when I reminisce the moment.” Ever since her first cap for the Country, Bala has taken massive strides in her Football career and now is one of the most influential players in the Indian Women’s Team setup, let alone be the Captain of the Indian Women’s Senior National Team. “The Player I am today is because of my Coaches and the support I got from the AIFF. The AIFF has been a pillar of strength for me and the AIFF Coaches have helped me evolve into a better Player. The credit goes to them, not me.” With Women’s Football in India on the rise, and the AIFF conducting the FIFA Live Your Goals Campaign to extend the outreach of Women’s Football in India, Bala Devi is one of the icons that many recognize. Her name is met with cheers and the young populace has already dubbed her as their ‘super-woman’. “It is heartening to see the efforts AIFF has put in to extend the horizons of Women’s Football in India. To see the young girls come out of their closets and indulge in the sport is one of the most glorious sights. Empowerment lies in living your goals and that is what the AIFF has done.” ------- *EUGENESON LYNGDOH VOTED ‘2015 AIFF PLAYER OF THE YEAR’* *AIFF Media Team* *MARGAO:* Eugenson Lyngdoh has been voted as the ‘2015 AIFF Player of the Year.’ The announcement was made by AIFF President Mr. Praful Patel at AIFF Annual General Body Meeting held in Goa on Sunday (December20). Lyngdoh was chosen the winner on basis of votes from Coaches of I-League Clubs. He will be presented a prize of Rs. 2 lakh besides the glittering Trophy. An elated Lyngdoh confessed to www.the-aiff.com that he was “honoured” on being chosen as the ‘2015 AIFF Player of the Year.’ “The fact that I was voted by the I-League Coaches makes it all the more special for me. This is just a motivation to do better,” he stated. Furthermore, Bala Devi was declared the 2015 AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year. The 25-year old would be presented a prize of Rs. 1 lakh besides a Trophy. “I thank the AIFF for their constant support and help. I revere the Awards lauded to me by the AIFF a lot and these are the things which matter the most to you as a Player,” she told www.the-aiff.com. Meanwhile Pritam Kotal was declared the ‘2015 AIFF Emerging Player of the Year.’ Speaking to www.the-aiff.com, Kotal thanked AIFF for the “recognition.” “As a Player it’s my duty to give my best. Being conferred with such an Award means a lot to me. The recognition motivates me further,” he maintained. AIFF also introduced a new Award – the ‘2015 AIFF merging Woman Footballer of the Year’ and it was bagged by Pyari Xaxa. “The AIFF Emerging Woman Player of the Year Award means the World to me and I am so happy that I could achieve this. I thank the AIFF for their constant support and exposure. And without a platform provided by the AIFF, I don’t know where I would be,” Pyari opined. Furthermore, Football Association of Odisha (FAO) bagged the ‘2015 AIFF Award for Best Grassroots Prorgamme.’ The ‘2015 AIFF Award for long time contribution to Indian Football was awarded to Coca Cola. Meanwhile, CR Srikrishna won ‘2015 AIFF Award for Best Referee’ while the ‘2015 AIFF Award for Best Assistant Referee’ was awarded to Sapam Knnedy. *2015 AIFF AWARDS AT A GLANCE:* *2015 AIFF Player of the Year:* *Eugenson Lyngdoh* *2015 AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year:* *Bala Devi* *2015 AIFF Emerging Player of the Year:* *Pritam Kotal* *2015 AIFF Emerging Woman Footballer of the Year: Pyari Xaxa* *2015 AIFF Award for Best Grassroots Development Programme:* *Football Association of Odisha* *2015 AIFF Award for long time contribution to Indian Football:* *Coca Cola* *2015 AIFF Award for Best Referee: CR Srikrishna* *2015 AIFF Award for Best Assistant Referee: Sapam Kennedy* *PREVIOUS WINNERS OF AIFF PLAYER OF THE YEAR:* *1992:* IM Vijayan *1993:* VP Sathyan *1994:* Jo Paul Ancheri *1995:* Bhaichung Bhutia *1996:* Bruno Coutinho *1997:* IM Vijayan *2000:* IM Vijayan *2001:* Jo Paul Ancheri *2002:* Deepak Mondal *2003:* Tomba Singh *2004:* S. Venkatesh *2005:* Climax Lawrence *2006:* Surkumar Singh *2007:* Sunil Chhetri *2008:* Bhaichung Bhutia *2009:* Subrata Paul *2010:* Gouramangi Singh *2011:* Sunil Chhetri *2012:* Syed Rahim Nabi *2013:* Sunil Chhetri *2014:* Sunil Chhetri ------- Regards, AIFF Media Team ----------- EOM Media Department, AIFF. Alternate: me...@the-aiff.com Website: www.the-aiff.com
